The Confrontation
by Sith Lord Darth Omar
Summary: Obi-Wan and Anakin wind up somewhere they shouldn't be, at the height of the Clone Wars. Work in progress. Review to get the next chapter! Update: Chapter III is up!
1. Swept Away

Disclaimer: All of this belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am making no money from this, either. :(  
  
The Confrontation  
  
General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Anakin Skywalker looked out the bridge windows of the massive Republic Assault Ship. Since the beginning of the Clone Wars five months ago, they had fought alongside each other in many battles. Countless battalions of clones had been killed, captured or gone missing. Of the 16 000 clones the ship left Coruscant with, only 6 000 remained. They needed more troops badly. One dozen AT-TE's, six SPHA-T's and 28 Republic Gunships had been destroyed. Only 240 speeder bikes were left. Luckily, they still had all 20 Republic Dropships. On the assault ship itself, three quad turbolaser turrets and 16 laser cannons were gone. Fortunately, they still had all four missile / torpedo launch tubes. Spirits were low and even Obi-Wan looked depressed.  
  
Obi-Wan had been Anakin's master for 10 years but he still hadn't revealed where they were going now. It was time to find out the truth. "Where are we going, Master?" Anakin asked the tall, bearded man. "To Kamino and Rothana. Our ship is damaged. It needs repairs. And the clones... we need more troops. 10 000 of them are ready and we're going to pick them up first. Then we'll head to Rothana to get the repairs and replace our missing craft."  
  
Anakin was disappointed. He had hoped they would go back to Coruscant for a relief from military duty. He had certainly earned it. And besides being tired from battle, Anakin missed his wife: Padme Amidala Skywalker. He remembered the last time he saw her, three days after their secret wedding on Naboo. It was the day they returned to Coruscant as Senator and Jedi protector. They both had duties to the Republic and would be leading separate lives, he knew. He longed to see her again.  
  
Anakin's thoughts changed as he looked down at his mechanical right hand. An evil Sith Lord, Count Dooku, had sliced it off during a lightsaber battle on Geonosis. It seemed like so long ago and he was reminded of how bad the situation really was. Since the opening of the Clone Wars, at the Battle of Geonosis, 1 500 Jedi had lost their lives. The Force seemed turbulent and the galaxy was in distress. Geonosis was now the center of Separatist activity while Kamino was producing millions of more clones. It was still hard to believe it had all happened in such a short time. For Anakin, it seemed like someone else's reality, like it wasn't happening to him.  
  
Captain Ronet interrupted Anakin's thoughts. "General Kenobi, we are receiving a message from the Peacekeeper. It is for you." "Thank you, Captain. This is General Kenobi aboard the Liberator," said Obi-Wan. A strong voice came through the communications system. "This is General Fisto, of the Peacekeeper. We have just received a message from Coruscant. Count Dooku has been spotted in the Anoat system, gathering more troops for the Separatists. We have been ordered to track him down. We will be dropping out of hyperspace to change course after another parsec. The Liberator is to continue to Kamino for repairs." "I see, General, will the Mediator be joining you?" Obi-Wan asked. "No. In your condition, it's not safe to travel alone. After escorting you to Kamino, the Mediator will join us. We have already notified them. I trust you can make it to Rothana on your own?" Obi-Wan recognized the teasing tone of his fellow Jedi. Kit Fisto has used it many times since they first met. All Jedi had grown closer after the outbreak of the Clone Wars. "Yes, General Fisto. Thank you for informing us. May the Force be with you," said Obi-Wan. "May the Force be with you," replied Kit Fisto. Obi-Wan and Anakin watched as the Peacekeeper dropped out of hyperspace leaving them with the Mediator.  
  
Anakin was worried now. All planets in the Anoat system had remained neutral during the Clone Wars. What could Count Dooku be doing there? Perhaps his Master could provide some insight. Anakin asked, "What could the Separatists want with the Anoat system?" "I'm not sure, but I heard they found a new Tibanna gas deposit on Bespin. It could be very profitable, since the gas is so rare and valuable but there aren't any mines there yet. I'm sure that whatever Dooku's up to, it's no good." "Yes, Master."   
  
Before Anakin had any time to reflect on what happened, the entire hyperspace glow around them changed from ice blue to bright orange. Before anyone had time to say anything, they were all slammed into the floor as the Republic Assault Ship was forced out of hyperspace. Anakin and Obi-Wan were on their feet in an instant and helped Captain Ronet up. "What happened?" asked Obi-Wan. "I'm not sure but we're receiving a distress message from the Mediator." Obi-Wan barked out the command: "Put it through!" The comm. unit crackled for a moment and finally a voice came through. "General Kenobi, this is General Gallia of the Mediator. We have been forced out of hyperspace and are under attack from 12 Separatist capital ships. I don't think we can hold them off for much longer; you should leave now." The captain said "She's right, General. Three more ships just appeared and are heading to intercept us." Obi-Wan was determined to help. "I never run from a fight; let us stay, we can help you." He was rocked back and forth as proton torpedoes hit the ship. "You have no choice, General Kenobi, you can't stand up to that much firepower." Anakin finally spoke up. "We must go, Master." "Fine. Is the hyperdrive generator online?" "Yes, General." "Then let us depart. Don't worry, General Gallia, we'll send more ships when we get to Kamino. May the Force be with you." "May the Force be with you." The comm. unit buzzed with static as the communications center was hit. "Let's go, Captain!" Obi-Wan watched the stars fly by as they entered hyperspace. He hated leaving anyone behind but they had no other option. "Please inform me when we reach Kamino. I am retiring to my quarters." Obi-Wan said as he left the bridge.  
  
Obi-Wan was woken up by the soft sounds of his comm. unit. "Yes, Captain?" he asked in a groggy voice. "We've reached Kamino and we're ready to dock with the re-loaders." "Proceed, Captain." Obi-Wan decided to get up and get dressed. He felt it would be a long day ahead.  
  
Twelve hours later, the newly repaired Liberator carried 16 000 clonetroopers, four dozen AT-TE's, three dozen SPHA-T's, 320 speeder bikes, 60 Republic Gunships and 20 Republic Dropships. It's dozen quad turbolaser turrets, 24 laser cannons and four missile / torpedo launch tubes were now fully operational.   
  
Obi-Wan was beaming on the Bridge, ready to take on Separatist forces. He contacted Coruscant to get new orders. "Coruscant Command, this is General Kenobi aboard the Liberator. We have just received repairs on Rothana and are ready to continue our military service." Obi-Wan was surprised to hear Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's voice coming through loudly. "Greetings General. I'm afraid I have bad news for you. The Mediator was destroyed by a Separatist battle group and we have lost contact with the Peacekeeper. All forces are being directed to Kessel. I feel another battle is about to take place there. We would like you to join the ships there as well. I am...* All of a sudden, the Chancellor's communication was cut off. The entire ship began to rumble, as if it were in the hands of an enormous beast, being shaken to its very core. The stars disappeared from the viewport and the ship was left in a void. Inexplicably, the low roar stopped and all was silent. "What happened, Captain?" Obi-Wan asked in a worried voice. "I'm not sure, General. The power system and all sensors are working but navigation is down. I have no idea where we are." "I sense a disturbance in the Force, Master" Anakin said gravely as he walked onto the Bridge. "I sense it also, Padawan."  
  
Suddenly, all the stars returned to view as if the ship had just exited hyperspace. Everything seemed normal. Except, what awaited the Liberator was anything but ordinary. The entire viewscreen was filled with an enormous capital warship. It must have been a kilometer long, maybe more! The planet behind it was barely visible. "Master, what is that?" Anakin asked in awe. "I'm not sure, Anakin, but it's huge." "It's double our size, at least!" Anakin said. Captain Ronet spoke up, "General, I see at least 50 weapons emplacements on that thing! If they don't like the look of us..." "I know, Captain, but we can't jump to conclusions." "General, they're contacting us." "Put them through." Obi-Wan said, unable to hide the anxiety in his voice. The tough voice of a seasoned captain came through. "This is the Devastator, an Imperial Star Destroyer. In the name of the Empire, surrender now and prepare to be boarded... or face the consequences." 


	2. The Battles Begin

First of all, I want to thank everyone who reviewed Part I of my story for all their support. Jr iz Boba Fett: Thank you very much for such a positive review! Renee: Yes, you heard me right: "Empire". Lol. Yes, they went through a time nexus thing. Heather Wan: Thank you as well. And now, the much anticipated Part II.  
  
The Confrontation - Part II  
  
Obi-Wan looked concerned. A massive Imperial Star Destroyer threatened his comparatively small Republic Assault Ship. He had been ordered to surrender and prepare for boarding. His mind raced as crucial decisions needed to be made. "What are we going to do now, Master?" his young apprentice Anakin asked. "We're lost, we're outgunned and we're vulnerable!" Obi-Wan thought of everything that was at stake and instantly made his decision. "We may be in danger but we're going to fight!" Captain Ronet spoke up: "General Kenobi, we won't last very long against that thing. It'll blow us to pieces!" "Not without a fight, it won't." Obi-Wan said. "Bring us around and get the weapons online!"  
  
On the bridge of the Devastator, Captain Motti paced back and forth. "We should have received their reply by now" he said to himself. "Captain, the Admiral is seeking a conversation with you," a bridge officer said. "Put him through." The Admiral's stern voice came through, "What is your situation, Captain?" "Sir, we've encountered a vessel. We have no idea how it arrived here but we've told it to back down. Sir... It looks like a Republic Assault Ship." "A Republic capital ship?! Impossible! They were all destroyed during or after the Clone Wars." "Lieutenant, send the Admiral the visual data." A few moments passed as the Admiral received the pictures and looked them over. "Impossible," said the Admiral, the surprise evident in his voice. "I will report directly to the Emperor about this. In the meantime, cripple the vessel, but DO NOT DESTROY IT! Do I make myself clear, Captain?" "Yes, Admiral." Captain Motti sighed. Although space battles were often exciting and dangerous, he longed to be a part of them instead of watching from the bridge. He had little time to reflect on that, as the ship shook under the impact of turbolaser fire.  
  
"Fire the proton torpedoes!" Obi-Wan ordered. He launched an impressive attack against the Devastator, a ship twice the size of his own. "Six more turbolaser emplacements have been destroyed, Sir." "Excellent, keep up the attack. They won't get us that easy!" The Liberator fired 4 more proton torpedoes and kept up a furious pace of laser fire. "General, there's a problem. There are approximately 50 small starfighters coming out of the Devastator's launch bay!" It was now the Liberator's turn to take laser fire as the small TIE fighters unleashed their salvo. Obi-Wan and Anakin were thrown to the floor as the Star Destroyer also began to fire upon them. The battle raged on, Republic and Imperial forces fighting against unknown foes. The Liberator trembled furiously, on the brink of breaking apart. "Master, we won't hold out long against this attack," Anakin said, picking himself up off the floor. A fire broke out on the bridge and Anakin raced to get it under control. "General, the engines are failing. We can't stay in orbit for any more than 10 minutes longer, let alone attack another capital ship!" Captain Ronet said. "Can we land safely on the planet?" Obi-Wan asked. A small shudder answered him. "We don't have a choice anymore. The last main engine just blew out! We're heading into the atmosphere!" Obi-Wan stayed calm and was quick to issue emergency orders. "Make sure all the equipment is safely secured. Inform the crew and the clones to strap in and prepare for a crash landing! See what you can do to slow us down with the maneuvering engines!"  
  
On the bridge of the Devastator, the crew members were keeping a close eye on the battle. "Good news, Captain. The ship has been disabled. None of the TIE Fighters were lost during battle and the ship is heading into the atmosphere of Carnosis." "Use the tractor beams to slow it down. I have orders from Admiral Notor to keep the ship intact," the captain replied. "Run a scan to track the ship's descent. Inform me as soon as it hits the surface." "Yes, Sir."  
  
Several minutes later, the deck officer's console chimed softly. "Captain Motti, the ship has reached the surface. It's still intact and it seems to be in good condition. They must have had some thrusters online," He said. "Thank you Lieutenant. Send down ALL landing forces. I have a feeling they have at least one surprise left for us yet." "At once, Sir."  
  
Down on the planet, Obi-Wan and Anakin were busy viewing damage reports in the galley. "The damage isn't actually that bad, Master. We only lost one Gunship, one Dropship and one AT-TE. All the other equipment has only minor damage. In total, we lost only 200 crew members and 56 clones." Anakin reported. "It doesn't make sense, Anakin. We had no engine power. The ship is still in one piece and right side up. There were minimal losses. What could have slowed us down enough to do that?" Obi-Wan asked. "Perhaps it was that warship. It's double our size. Fighters launch from the landing bay. It has 50 turbolaser emplacements. It could have a tractor beam of some sort as well," Anakin responded. "It's possible, but why would they want to slow us down enough to have us land safely? They were trying to destroy us. What's so valuable about our ship?" "It could be a Separatist plot. Or they might want to study our technology, although I don't know what good that would do. They're more advanced than us," Anakin said. "I don't know, Anakin. I just don't know anymore," Obi-Wan admitted.  
  
Obi-Wan's gaze shifted to the viewport as Anakin left. Through the transparisteel, Obi-Wan saw a strangely familiar landscape. It was like he was on Geonosis again, re-living the opening battle of the Clone Wars. The landscape was that of sweeping plains and cliffs, the entire planet was a desert. The sky, the sand, the rock; everything was a shade of red, orange or yellow. The sky was an ugly mustard yellow; the rock a deep red and the sand a bright orange. It was exactly like Geonosis, except for the spires. They had been built by the native Geonosians and were part of the factories used by the Separatists. Here, there was nothing on the horizon except for a few mountains in the distance. Obi-Wan sighed as he turned and sat down to his evening meal.  
  
"What am I doing here?" Obi-Wan thought to himself. He was stuck on an unknown planet with no way to get off and a massive warship on his back. "What if we can't ever leave? What if we die here?" His thoughts changed to Anakin. What would be Anakin's fate? Obi-Wan had already sensed his rebellious side, and how he was slowly starting to use the Dark Side of the Force more and more. And what about Padme? The way his personality changed around her, the way they looked at each other; was Obi-Wan wrong to suspect something? "Of course not. You're being ridiculous. He's a Jedi. He'll come around," Obi-Wan told himself as his thoughts shifted again to his former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. He missed him, a lot. He had been killed 10 years ago, on Naboo by a Sith Lord. They were part of a battle to re-take Theed Palace from the Trade Federation. After Qui-Gon's death, Obi-Wan became a Jedi Knight and Anakin's Master. "Has it really been 10 years?" Obi-Wan asked himself as Anakin walked in again.  
  
It was time for the evening report. "Master, we've made excellent progress. The atmosphere is breathable so we sent out crew members and five clone divisions to do some repairs. The only damage left over now is carbon scoring, which there is unfortunately a lot of and some stress fractures. Those are taking a little longer to repair but a sandstorm started so we couldn't finish. If it clears up by morning, we should be done by midday tomorrow," Anakin reported. "Thank you, Anakin. That sounds excellent," Obi-Wan said in a weary voice. "What's wrong, Master?" Anakin asked, concerned. "Nothing. I was just remembering Qui-Gon." Obi-Wan cheered himself up. There was no point in worrying Anakin. "You've done a wonderful job, Anakin. Get something to eat and lots of rest. We're going to need it." Obi-Wan said as he headed to his quarters to get some sleep.  
  
The next morning, Obi-Wan awoke to a distant rumbling. It wasn't particularly loud but he felt the vibrations deep in his chest. They were slow, methodical and about two seconds apart. He immediately sensed a disturbance in the Force. He rose and headed to the bridge. "What's happening? Where's Captain Ronet?" Obi-Wan asked. Anakin responded, "He's gone outside. Something is going on but we can't see through the storm, even with electrobinoculars." "Let me see." Obi-Wan picked up his own pair of high-power electrobinoculars and scanned the horizon, at least, what he thought was the horizon. The dust was so thick, his view was only 1 000 meters now, compared to eight kilometers before. Suddenly, a tall, dark shape penetrated the dust. "Do you see that, Master?" Anakin asked. "Yes. But what is it? It must be very large for us to see it from here." Just then, Captain Ronet entered the bridge, his tunic covered in red sand. "General. I took one of the swoop bikes out. There are huge walkers coming. You should be able to see them from here by now. And there's also some smaller ones. Most importantly though, there are CLONES! An army, maybe 10 000 strong of clones! I couldn't get close enough for a good view but I know what I saw. There's an army headed straight for us and I have a pretty good guess as to who sent it." "Mighty Force! Anakin, Captain, prepare the clones for battle. This "Empire" isn't the first to try and destroy us!" Anakin and the Captain hurried away to get the troops ready. Obi-Wan looked through the viewscreen again. "Those walkers are slow," Obi-Wan thought to himself. "It'll take them another half an hour to get here."  
  
Within twenty minutes, the clone army was assembled and ready. 14 000 clonetroopers, 47 AT-TE's, 36 SPHA-T's, 320 speeder bikes, 59 Republic Gunships and 19 Republic Dropships stood on the edge of a dusty plain, ready to defend themselves. Obi-Wan and Anakin stood at the head of two columns of clonetroopers, while the other two were under the control of yellow-coloured commanders. Through the dust, the huge walkers appeared. There were 20 of them, along with 30 smaller, two-legged walkers. In front of them stood 10 000 identical clones. They were faceless, covered in almost the exact same armor as the Republic clones. It was an eerie sight. "This is you last warning. Surrender now or be destroyed," came the Imperial Commander's voice from the lead AT-AT. "Never," Obi-Wan said under his breath. He and Anakin activated their lightsabers in tandem and ran forward. "Charge!" said Obi-Wan as the Dropships and Gunships took off behind him. The battle had begun. 


	3. Capture!

First of all, I'd like to thank Georgie9uk for his review of Chapter II. Also, I'd like to clear up some things. I realize that the Republic would never be able to fight the Empire because they were in different time periods and the Empire evolved from the Republic. However, I've written this story simply to entertain the idea of "what if?" so we'll see how it goes from here. Yes, I realize I've screwed up Star Wars but it's fun!  
  
The Confrontation - Part III  
  
On the planet Carnosis, in the Outer Rim Territories of the Galaxy, a major battle was being waged. General Obi-Wan Kenobi and Commander Anakin Skywalker led their Republic forces against Commander Agarra of the Galactic Empire. Their Republic Assault Ship, the Liberator, had taken heavy damage and crashed on the planet during an entanglement with an Imperial Star Destroyer, the Devastator. Now, General Kenobi gathered his troops and fought to protect his ship, and the lives of its crew.  
  
Captain Ronet watched from the downed Republic Assault Ship as the battle began. He felt cowardly for not being a part of it. The captain had fought bravely during the Battle of Naboo but his brother had been killed in action and so he gave up his army duty to lead the simple life of a warship captain. He missed his beautiful wife and his daughter who was only two years old. Naboo had not been hit very badly during the Clone Wars but he always feared for their lives. He missed his infantry days and wanted to fight again. He suddenly made up his mind. In a swell of pride and courage, the captain rushed outside to the five clone divisions doing repairs on the ship. "Take me to the battle, right now!" ordered Captain Ronet. The clones didn't know what to think of him.  
  
Meanwhile, the battle began on the field. Obi-Wan Kenobi's mind was clear as he ran forward to meet the Imperial Stormtroopers. Beside him, his Padawan issued orders to the clone commanders through his comlink. This battle would be difficult. Obi-Wan slowed down his pace as he deflected the first round of blaster fire. "Those troops have terrible aim," Obi-Wan thought to himself. "Pity." He began to focus, calling upon the Force to help him deflect fire towards his unknown foe. The menacing troops began to fall as they were struck by their own blaster bolts. The clones unleashed their own firepower and even more Imperial forces fell. Obi-Wan felt a great disturbance in the Force as he saw Anakin Force-push an entire platoon of Stormtroopers back into their own ranks. He was troubled by Anakin's dark presence and his chilling smile as he lifted an enemy trooper high into the air and crashed him into the ground. He sent a wave of Force energy towards Anakin and was relieved to see his eyes clear and the Force become less troubled. They continued the fight as ships flew above and around them and the sound of explosions was heard everywhere.  
  
The clones were fighting bravely although the AT-ST's and AT-AT's were able to take out many troops. Both sides of the conflict had speeder bikes and they looked eerily similar. The Empire, however, had only 90 speeder bikes deployed while the Republic had 310. 120 of the clone bikes attacked the scout troopers as one taskforce, while 190 helped the battle against the AT-ST's in another group. The AT-ST's were too powerful though and only six were destroyed. All the Republic bikes fell, due to friendly fire from the AT-TE's or Imperial engagements. All 90 of the Imperial speeders had been destroyed but now the last 10, a group of elite scout troopers attacked the AT-TE's with their advanced speeders. Two AT-TE's were destroyed by plasma grenades before the elite scouts were stopped.  
  
Another battle ensued in the air. All 59 Republic Gunships and 19 Dropships as well as 36 SPHA-T's and 47 AT-TE's were quite busy attacking the 20 Imperial AT-AT's and 30 AT-ST's. The massive AT-AT's managed to destroy two AT-TE's before being distracted. With all the AT-TE's already on the battlefield, the dropships were free to attack the large walkers. Their shielding was so great that the gunships simply couldn't break through. One dropship flew too low and a few good shots from an AT-ST sent it hurdling into a walker's front legs. The walker slowly fell forward and the remaining gunships blew it up with concussion missiles. The AT-AT's now focused on the gunships but they were maneuverable enough to escape all but the worst fire. However, the Empire's latest threat came into view: 48 TIE fighters, 12 TIE Interceptors and 12 TIE Bombers flew over the battlefield, deployed from the orbiting Star Destroyer. They went after the vulnerable dropships while the gunships attacked the TIE Bombers and Interceptors, their laser beams blazing. Several bombers broke through and destroyed five AT-TE's and one SPHA-T before themselves being destroyed. All but two of the Interceptors had also been destroyed. Meanwhile, the 18 dropships had destroyed 13 fighters while eight of them were demolished. The remaining 50 gunships destroyed all but four fighters, which now retreated to the Devastator. The gunships again focused their attack on the ground forces, but many had already been taken care of.  
  
While the vicious air battle took place, massive walkers from both armies fought against each other. Only 20 AT-TE's were needed to attack the small, fragile AT-ST's and all were quickly annihilated (the speeder bikes helped), with only one AT-TE lost. The remaining tanks now fought the AT-AT's that had been trying to destroy the powerful SPHA-T's. The massive mobile turbolasers cut through the walkers' shields and even their thick armour plating. With all forces narrowing in on these immense walkers, they soon began to fall. Republic forces stopped the attack when only the lead AT-AT was left. All the stormtroopers had either fallen, been severely injured or had been captured. They were sure Imperial Commander Agarra wouldn't be issuing any more orders. The Republic too, had suffered much damage with only 20 gunships, five dropships, 20 SPHA-T's, and 25 AT-TE's remaining. Only a few hundred clones were left. The battle was over. Against all odds, General Kenobi had won.  
  
Captain Ronet finally came into view of the battleground. It had taken a long time for the clones to be convinced because Obi-Wan had issued such strict orders and the transmission on the captain's speeder bike had broken down. Eventually, the captain had nine clones on speeder bikes and an additional sub-division on foot come with him. The rest continued repairs on the Liberator. As they rode up to the General, both he and Anakin had surprised looks on their faces. "Captain, I wasn't expecting you here," said Obi-Wan. "I wanted to help but it looks like the battle is over," the captain replied. "We still need to capture the commander. Would you like to lead the division I'm sending in?" asked Obi-Wan. "Thank you, General," replied the captain. Obi-Wan turned to Anakin. "Organize the troops and keep command over them as they move the equipment back into the ship. We don't need any of it now. The clones can go inside, too." "Yes, Master," replied Anakin.   
  
While all of this was happening, Commander Agarra had been plotting from inside his AT-AT. He had no plans to fail yet. He realized they would try to capture him and decided to set up a little surprise for them. He still had three platoons of elite Stormtroopers inside the massive vehicle but he decided not to use them unless necessary. Secretly, he opened the side hatches of the AT-AT just enough to drop a few mines around its perimeter. They landed in the soft sand and no one was the wiser. "Let them get through that!" he said to himself. The Carnosian winds quickly covered the mines with sand.  
  
Captain Ronet's division of 100 clones was soon ready. He had half of them hold backup positions while the other half went up to see if they could climb up into the vehicle somehow. The forward sub-division had been split into five groups. The captain watched as his clones surrounded the vehicle, looking for a way to climb into it. Suddenly, something triggered an explosion and three of the groups were blown apart, the clones' bodies flying a dozen feet into the air. The two remaining groups attempted to retreat but set off another mine and half of them were killed. Only one unit made it back to the captain but there was no time to say anything because the side hatches of the AT-AT had opened up and now the captain was being fired upon. The elite Stormtroopers were smart, highly trained, highly deadly marksman. Half of them descended to the sand on repelling harnesses while their comrades kept up a barrage of fire from the top of the AT-AT. Once the first group had hit the ground and started firing, the second group quickly came down to join them.   
  
Both Obi-Wan and Anakin had turned as soon as the first mine had exploded. Obi-Wan raced to help out the captain, who he knew hadn't battled in ten years and was a bit rusty. Anakin turned back to supervise the clones. He knew Obi-Wan could handle the situation for a moment, until he got the few remaining gunships back into the Liberator.  
  
Meanwhile, Captain Ronet was feeling scared. He was in over his head and he knew it. His backup clone sub-division was fighting the elite Stormtrooper platoons, but they were no match. The captain ducked behind a ridge just as Obi-Wan came running up. "What's going on here, Captain?" Obi-Wan asked. "I don't know, sir. My division was looking for a way inside. Suddenly we were under attack. It was some kind of ambush," replied the frightened captain. Obi-Wan and the captain both looked up to see the blue-coloured lieutenant fall. "We won't last much longer against this," Obi-Wan thought. He risked a glance over the ridge to assess the situation but was met by a salvo of blaster fire and a wave of pain in his left shoulder. He fell back behind the ridge for cover, his lightsaber landing several feet away and felt another searing pain in his calf. He looked up to see Commander Agarra leaning out of his AT-AT, smoking blaster rifle in hand and a cruel grin on his face. "General? Are you okay?" questioned the concerned captain. "Yes, I'll be fine," said Obi-Wan. He accessed the Force to begin his healing.  
  
Anakin felt an unsettling wave of pain through the Force. "Obi-Wan!" He quickly told a clone sergeant to finish loading and repairing the Republic Assault Ship. Then he took off to help his fallen master. He accessed the Force to try to stay calm and knew Obi-Wan was trying to heal his wounds. He only hoped he would be there in time and could keep control of himself.  
  
The captain looked over the ridge and saw that the clones were now pushing the Imperial forces back towards their AT-AT. "We're winning," he thought to himself. He jumped up to help out his diminished taskforce and they soon had the Stormtroopers in full retreat. The captain came up to the legs of the AT-AT, weary of any mines still left. He unexpectedly heard the sound of something hitting the sand, behind him. He wasn't even able to turn before a strong arm was wrapped around his neck and a blaster was pointed to his head. The Clonetroopers, shocked at their leader's capture, became confused and hesitant. It was what the elite Stormtroopers had been waiting for. The remaining clones were quickly wiped out. The commander, holding onto the captain, walked over to Obi-Wan and, keeping a respectful distance, picked up his lightsaber. He ignited it and quickly walked back, dropping the blaster (after slicing it in half) and holding Obi-Wan's lightsaber menacingly close to Ronet's neck. The hairs on the captain's neck were vapourized and sweat quickly trickled down his uniform.  
  
Commander Agarra turned in time to see Anakin Skywalker arrive and quickly examine his master's wounds. He stood, lightsaber ignited in his trembling hand and anger burning in his dark gaze. "You're going to regret this, Commander," Anakin spat out. "I doubt that, young Jedi," came the commander's reply. Obi-Wan sensed Anakin preparing to pull the lightsaber away from Captain Ronet's throat. "Anakin, no," said Obi-Wan. In his enraged state, he doubted Anakin would have enough control to pull away the lightsaber safely. "Master, I can do this," Anakin said, the struggle to control his temper evident in his voice. "Trust me." "No, Anakin. I can't let you risk it." "Master, I --*" "NO, Anakin! It's too great a risk" Anakin flashed a look of disappointment at Obi-Wan and powered down his lightsaber. "Seize them!" ordered Commander Agarra. The elite Stormtroopers quickly put the Jedi's hands into energy cuffs. Obi-Wan's leg injury blazed as he was dragged to his feet and a trooper handed Anakin's lightsaber to the commander. "Bring me my shuttle," said Agarra. One of the Stormtroopers took off on the commander's personal speeder bike (previously hidden in his AT-AT) to retrieve his landing shuttle.  
  
While they were waiting for the shuttle, Obi-Wan tried to contact Anakin through the Force. All of his attempts were in vain. He knew Anakin would think Obi-Wan didn't trust him but Anakin was too overconfident. Besides, the captain's life was at risk. Obi-Wan looked down at his shoulder. It had been hit in the exact spot where Dooku's lightsaber had pierced it on Geonosis. That had left a deep scar, one that would never disappear. He sighed, feeling that Commander Agarra would be only too pleased to give him a few scars to remember him by.  
  
The Imperial Shuttle arrived in minutes and landed a few dozen feet away. Obi-Wan and Anakin were roughly pushed forward. They stopped before the lowered landing ramp and the commander came up to face them, a wicked smile on his face. "Any last words, General?" he asked teasingly. "Let the captain go. He's innocent in this. It's us you want," came Kenobi's grim reply. "Get in," said Agarra cruelly. Obi-Wan and Anakin were forced into the cargo section of the shuttle and their energy cuffs were chained to the wall. The commander entered, still holding Obi-Wan's lightsaber at the captain's neck. "Actually, I don't think I really have a use for you," he said. Captain Ronet barely had the time to scream before the lightsaber pierced him. The shuttle took off and the captain's body was thrown into the Carnosis sands. The commander went up to the pilot. "Alert my Star Destroyer to prepare two prisoner's cells. We need to accommodate our Jedi guests on the way to see the Emperor," he said, turning back and giving a chilling smile to Obi-Wan and Anakin. "I have a bad feeling about this," Anakin said bleakly. 


End file.
